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| Pizza Hut U.S. has appointed Mischief @ No Fixed Address as its social agency of record, the chain confirmed to AdAge. This is a newly created role in its roster, according to a joint statement by Mischief and Pizza Hut. The news comes as social and influencer work has become a larger part of marketers’ remits this year. |
| For the second consecutive year, Pizza Hut China is collaborating with the Beijing Aita Animal Protection Foundation to expand its pet-friendly restaurant network to 20 locations across 17 Chinese cities. These restaurants feature pet-friendly amenities and serve as hubs for pet owners, hosting activities promoting stray animal care and adoption. The initiative includes informative posters, offline and virtual adoption campaigns, and tailored community engagement initiatives, such as educational brochures and charity markets. |
| Taco Bell U.S. is testing breakfast tots in the Chicago market, expanding its focus on the breakfast business. Priced between $3.49 and $4.49, the item features seasoned potato tots topped with scrambled eggs, a choice of bacon or sausage and a mix of mozzarella, pepper jack and cheddar cheeses. The test follows the recent launch of toasted breakfast tacos and highlights Taco Bell’s efficient use of existing SKUs to innovate the menu. |
| Taco Bell was included in a list of Americans’ most craveable tacos. According to the survey, the chain’s Doritos Locos Taco and Taco Supreme were noted as favorites. One respondent summed it up by saying, “I love Mexican food and Taco Bell has so much to offer … tacos, taco salad, guacamole and sour cream for the tacos. I just love everything about Taco Bell; it’s my favorite fast-food restaurant.” |
| Sustainability served hot with ShariLee Rafferty |
Grab a slice of the latest #3Questions featuring Pizza Hut Global Design Manager ShariLee Rafferty. ShariLee talks with Yum! CEO David Gibbs about how she collaborates with a cross-brand sustainability dream team, including Robyn Lodge at KFC, Rachel Meyer and Emily True at Pizza Hut and Stephanie Zhu and Alyson Baynes at Yum! Corp. to shape the green buildings strategy for Pizza Hut globally. Learn firsthand from ShariLee how we can all work together to sustainably grow the business while minimizing our environmental footprint. |  | (For Yum! Eyes Only) |
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| Thousands of Starbucks employees nationwide are set to walk off the job on Thursday in the largest work stoppage in the five-decade history of the company. According to the Starbucks Workers United labor union, employees at hundreds of unionized stores will call on Starbucks to bargain labor contracts that would set conditions at those workplaces, such as pay, benefits and staffing levels. The strike coincides with "Red Cup Day," an annual promotion that brings many customers to the company's stores for a free holiday-themed reusable cup. |
| The New York Times highlighted how fashion brands, including Moschino, Vetements and Palace, are increasingly collaborating with McDonald’s, tapping into the chain’s imagery and global recognition. Designers like Jeremy Scott of Moschino have incorporated McDonald’s logos and motifs into their collections, resulting in collaborations that blend fashion and pop culture. Recent collaborations include McDonald’s and Crocs, offering clogs inspired by characters like Birdie and Grimace. |
| Jeff Shepherd has been appointed as the new CFO of Subway, succeeding Ben Wells, who is set to retire at the end of the year. Shepherd, who started in the role on Monday, comes with nearly 30 years of financial and accounting experience, with his previous position being CFO and EVP of Advance Auto Parts. Wells, who served at Subway since December 2019, will remain with the company until year-end to help with the transition. |
| Papa John’s and Donna Kelce, the mother of NFL players Travis and Jason Kelce, have collaborated to introduce the Mama Kelce Bundle. The limited-time meal includes two specialty pizzas -- a Philly Cheesesteak for the Philadelphia Eagles and a BBQ Chicken for the Kansas City Chiefs -- along with four 20-oz Pepsi products for $39.99. This promotion is set to run from Nov. 16-20, ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs football game. |
| Consuela Jacobs, former VP of Stage Stores, has become the owner/operator of Chick-fil-A’s 3,000th restaurant in Dallas. After losing her job at Stage Stores due to the impact of COVID-19, Jacobs applied to become a Chick-fil-A owner/operator. She was selected out of a highly competitive pool of applicants, beating the odds to secure the position. The RedBird location, situated in a mixed-use development, is part of Chick-fil-A’s deliberate approach to owner/operator selection, ensuring a deep understanding of the community. |
| BurgerFi International Inc. is planning to close underperforming locations for both its BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza brands after reporting disappointing Q3 results. Same-store sales were down 11% at BurgerFi and 5% for Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza during the quarter. The company closed five underperforming restaurants, including one company-owned BurgerFi and three franchised locations, along with one company-owned Anthony’s unit. |
| Slim Chickens has opened a new restaurant in Sarasota, Florida. This is the second Slim Chickens location for Florida’s Best Chicken, the multi-unit operating group spearheading the launch. Slim Chickens has opened over 250 locations across the U.S. and the U.K. With more than 1,150 locations in development, the brand continues to expand its presence. |
| Potbelly has signed a franchise deal with Sound Sandwich LLC for expansion in the Seattle-Tacoma area of Washington state. Sound Sandwich will acquire nine existing Potbelly units and develop 13 more over the next eight years. Potbelly’s CEO, Bob Wright, sees significant potential in the market, describing it as underpenetrated. The move is part of Potbelly’s Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative, aiming to reach 2,000 units with at least 85% under franchising. |
| Restaurant CEOs shared their concerns and what keeps them up at night during a panel discussion at the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference. Cava CEO Brett Schulman highlighted his worries about the mental health of team members amid the challenges of the current world. Caribou Coffee CEO John Butcher discussed his concerns about maintaining quality as the brand scales and emphasized the importance of selecting the right franchisees. Chicken Salad Chick CEO Scott Deviney expressed fears about industry growth being stifled by regulations and poor treatment of employees. |
| Chick-fil-A’s Brandon/Valrico location in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area is now offering free delivery via drones. Customers can select ‘Chick-fil-A Delivery’ when placing an order on the app, and the drone delivery is available from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The restaurant shared a behind-the-scenes look into the drone delivery operation, where orders are loaded into a box attached to a drone and delivered to customers. |
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